The Piano Lesson Page #16

Sc 104INT STEWART'S KITCHEN & BEDROOMNIGHT Sc 104

ADA walks through the kitchen, small slithers of moonlight lighting

her path. She walks past the piano into STEWART'S room who has gone to

sleep with his candle still alight. ADA looks, then slowly her hand

hovers above him before lightly touching his face. His eyes open, he

looks towards ADA anxious and surprised, but as ADA continues, his

reserve breaks and he is captive to his own sensations. She pulls down

the sheet and strokes his neck, shoulders, chest, he reaches out

towards her.

STEWART:

Ada!

But ADA scowls and pulls away roughly, STEWART lies back anxious not

to break the spell and when he is still ADA continues to caress his

chest. His eyes well with tears and he looks up into her face like a

child after a bad dream, fearful and trusting. ADA continues like a

nurse spreading ointment on a wound, tenderly and attentively she

strokes down towards his belly. STEWART'S skin goose bumps and be

shudders. He puts his hand on hers to still it1 she slides hers out

and continues stroking. He looks at her pleadingly and childlike, she

stops and kisses the soft skin of his belly, STEWART groans clutching

the mattress. ADA seems removed from STEWART as if she has a separate

curiosity of her own.

Sc 105INT STEWART'S KITCHEN DAY Sc 105

Next day AUNT MORAG stands circling in STEWART'S small darkened house.

FLORA and ADA sit quietly together

AUNT MORAG:

Ohhh, it's so dark, it's like a

dank cave.

NESSIE:

Yes, like a cave.

AUNT MORAG:

Ohh no, it makes my skin creep!

STEWART comes into the house with some logs, AUNT MORAG follows him

across to the fire.

AUNT MORAG:

Alisdair, is it because of our

play? Have the natives

aggressed you?

She continues following him to the door.

I have to say you have done the wrong thing here, you see you have put

the latch on the outside. When you close the door, (and she doses it)

it will be the Macna that lock you in, you see? With the latch on that

side you are quite trapped.

NESSIE:

(nodding her head in imitation)

... you are quite trapped.

AUNT MORAG walks inside and continues to the table where her basket

full of clothes and packets of food have been left. She lifts it from

the table and begins to spread the cloth.

AUNT MORAG:

We have just come from George

Banes' and they have taken him

over. It is no wonder he is

leaving, he has got in too deep

with the natives. They sit on

his floor as proud as Kings,

but without a shred of manners.

NESSIE:

(in unison) ... without a shred

of manners.

NESSIE and AUNT MORAG are unpacking parcels of cakes and biscuits

on plates putting them about the table.

AUNT MORAG:

He is quite altered, as if they

had been trying some native

witchcraft on him. Well

tomorrow or the day after he

will be gone.

STEWART:

Baines is packing up?

AUNT MORAG:

Well he has NOTHING to pack,

but he is leaving. And it is

just as well; Nessie has

foolishly grown an affection

for him ... we have had some

tears

At this mention NESSlE's face crumples and tears again begin to flow.

AUNT MORAG:

(very firmly) STOP IT! STOP!

NESSIE remarkably obeys, blinking her face back to shape.

ADA attempts to disguise her agitation, she moves to the piano and

strokes it, she begins to play.

I am quite frightened of the

way back, we must leave in good

light. Will we be safe?

STEWART:

(wanting them gone) If you

leave soon, yes, I am sure of

it.

STEWART and MORAG watch ADA at the piano. Her playing develops until

she is fully absorbed. AUNT MORAG is intrigued despite herself

Sc 106EXT BUSY ROAD TO MISSIONDAY Sc 106

On the edge of the bush beside the dirt road to town AUNT MORAG

attempts a discrete toilet stop. NESSIE keeps guard holding up the

cape while one of their MAORI charges holds up another.

AUNT MORAG:

You know I am thinking of the

piano. She does not play the

piano as we do Nessie.

The cape begins to droop as NESSIE listens.

UP! UP! No she is a strange

creature and her saying is

strange like a mood that passes

into you. You cannot teach that

Nessie, one may like to learn

but that could not be taught.

NESSIE again lets the cape droop.

Up! Your playing is plain and

true and that is what I like.

To have a sound creep inside

you is not all pleasant

A fluttering sound in the bush.

what is that?

NESSIE:

(frightened) Ohhhhhh!

MARY/HENI

(slow, relaxed) A pid-geon

Auntie.

The party finish and hurry a little spooked on the road to town.

Sc 107INT STEWART'S ROOM NIGHT Sc 107

It is night. ADA enters the room, STEWART looks at her shyly.

STEWART:

I've been hoping you would

come.

ADA strokes his brow. STEWART closes his eyes, breathing heavily

relieved. ADA strokes the nape of his neck and on down his back.

STEWART'S face puckers, his eyes fill with tears. She strokes so

softly, the tenderness is shocking to him. Gently she pulls his under-

garment down, exposing his buttocks. STEWART grabs nervously at them,

hauling them up with his hands. ADA unclenches his fist and once more,

slowly pulls them down. She begins to stroke his buttocks, STEWART is

painfully eroticised, painfully vulnerable, he begins to weep, the

intimacy and soft-ness unman him and he is helpless. STEWART sits up

hunching over himself, retreating

STEWART:

I want to touch you Why can't I

touch you? Do you like me?

Slowly he raises his head to look at ADA. She looks back moved by his

helplessness, but distanced as if it has nothing to do with her.

Do you?

ADA does not respond. STEWART slumps into disappointment and despair.

Rate this script:3.7 / 3 votes